Improvement in fire-kindling



drifted swat Patent @jljiine.

JOSEPH L. HANNUM. AND SAMUEL H. STEBBINS, OF BEREA, OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 104,145, dated June 14,1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-KINDLIN The Schedule rei ned to in these Letters Patent and making part of the name Be it known that we, JOSEPH L. HANNUM and SAMUEL H. STEBBINS, of Ber-ea, in the county of Onyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firc-Kindlers, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to the compounding of certain ingredients with ordinary potters clay, whereby said clay is rendered porous and not liable to crack on being repeatedly heated, when made into a ball and used as a fire-kindler, as hereinafter more. fully set forth and described.

The ordinary way of kindling fi re is by the use of shavings or other light combustible material for igniting the splints of wood employed for starting the fire.

As a substitute for the shavings, paper, or other light material, which is not at all times conveniently had, is the purpose of the above-named composition, which is molded into a ball, attached to a handle and saturated with ordinary distillate of petroleum. The

ball is then ignited, which will continue to burn until the oil is burned wherewith it was charged, and thereby ignite the splints of wood piled upon it forstarting the fire. This being done, the ball is removed and placed in a can or vessel containing a certain quantity. of coal-oil, and becomes again charged therewith for asnbseq'uent use. 7

Balls when made of ordinary clay will, on being frequently charged with oil and heated, crack and fall topieces, and therefore become worthless for the purpose above specified.

To avoid this cracking tendency and provide abody that will not crack on being, repeatedly saturated with oil, and as frequently heated, we take any of the clays or argillous earths and compound therewith the fol lowing ingredients, viz:

Half pound sulphur; quarter pound alum; quarter pound borax; one pint sawdust. v

These ingredients we thoroughly mix with about five pounds of clay; the composition is then molded into balls of any required size and shape, each of which is then attached to the end of an iron rod fora handle, and is then burned in an ordinary potters kiln. This being done, the article is ready for use in the manner and for the purpose above said.

It is found by experience that this composition will stand the heat of repeatedburnings without cracking, and that, in consequence of the sawdust, which will soon burn out, leaves the ball sufliciently' porous to become charged with oil, on being kept therein for a few minutes, and in which it is constantly kept when not in use.

\Ve do not confine ourselves to the above-specified proportions, but vary them more or less, as their quality may render it advisable.

'O'la-im.

What we claim as our improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein clescribed compound, consisting of the specified ingredients or their equivalents, substantially 

